On the return course, from the far end to the near end, when the point i of the left cam, a, comes in contact with the first needle it must swing up in the same position as the right cam, a, therefore all the needles will draw the new loop through the two preceding ones and clear themselves, leaving only one loop on each needle as in the plain rib.
On the next course, from the near end to the far end, the left hand needles again hold the old loop and take on a new one as just explained, while the right hand needles cast off the old ones and hold only the new ones.
To condense the operation into a few words let us say that the left hand needles always must hold the two stitches while moving in one direction, and clear them off and hold only one on the return course; while the right hand needles always cast off the old stitch and hold the new ones only. The right hand needles would make the face side of the fabric.
The writer has made a special effort to explain the formation of this particular stitch, and the reader should make the same effort to get this formation clear in his mind, for this stitch is the base of almost all of the fancy stitches or design work which will be taken up later. The system used in design work is of course entirely different from the one just described, being what might be called a selective system, that is, a method whereby the designer may select the proper needles at the proper time and place to make the tuck stitches block out the design wanted.
Fig. 25, at band c, shows the tuck or half cardigan stitch; b is the face and c is the back. If studied carefully the reader will notice that the face side, b, has a full round stitch, while c, or the back of the fabric, has a small narrow stitch.
The Full Cardigan Stitch
The full cardigan stitch is not nearly so generally used as the half cardigan and plain rib stitches. It is seldom if ever used in making underwear or any fine fabrics. When it is made it is usually used for sweater fabrics or other novelty wearing apparel of this character.
Fig. 29.
Construction of a Full Cardigan Fabric.
A line drawing of the full cardigan stitch is shown in Fig. 29. This stitch, as its name would indicate, is made in the same way as the half cardigan only the stitches are held alternately on both rows of needles on alternate courses. Referring again to Fig. 28, in making the full cardigan stitch the cams would operate exactly the same while moving toward the far end as shown and explained for the half cardigan. But the means provided to hold the right hand cam, a, at the top position would have been removed, so that on the return from the far to the near end this cam would be thrown down to the same position as the left hand cam, a, is shown, while this left hand cam would be forced up into the position in which the right hand cam is now shown. In other words, the stitch would be the same with the carriage or cams moving in either direction, only it would alternate on each course from one row of needles to the other.